Car unloader



H. H. BARBER Dec. 19, 1933.

CAR UNLOADER Filed May 8, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 19, 1933. H BARBER 1,940,441

CAR UNLOADE'R Filed May 8, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. H. BARBER CAR UNLOADER De C. 19, 1933.

Filed May 8, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 JWVEfi/GF Ferry )9. Barber? H. H. BARBER 1,940,441

Dec. 19, 1933.

' CAR UNLOADER Filed May 8, 19:51 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 flg I W rit g 5 13 Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES:

CAR- UNLOADER Harry H. Barber, Aurora, Ill., assignor to Bar-ber Greene Company, Aurora, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application May 8, 1931. Serial No.'535,952 '6 Claims. (01. 19853) This invention relates to a car unloader and concerns itself with a machine that is adapted to'be mounted upon a track extending parallel to the railroad cars for movement from one car to 6 another. In general the machine consists of a truck upon which the machine is swiveled so that it can be moved transversely with respect to the truck for placing the nose of the boom under a car for receiving the material to be discharged therefrom. Another feature of the machine resides in the pivotal mounting of the discharge boom whereby the same can be lowered to a point below the surface grade in order to discharge the coal in a pit or the like without causing the same to drop" through a distant space and causing the same to break;

The invention comprises the novel structure and combination of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims. Q

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form of this invention and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar features in the different views:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view 'of a car unloader involving this-invention. In this view the car unloader is shown as mounted on a trestle in order to illustrate the flexibility of the boom.

Figure 2 is an enlarged'fragmentaryside elevational view of the car unloadershowing the same carried upon the truck and ready for movement from one car to another; j v

Figure 3 is-an enlarged sectional view taken direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the sup porting truck for the machine proper.

Figure 5 is an enlarged elevational view of the supporting means for the discharge boom illustrating the supporting shaft thereof in section.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken upon the line VI -VI of Figure 5 looking in the 1 ture in the top of the truck.

upon the line III--III of Figure 2 looking in the adapted for traveling movement upon said tracks along the line of cars.

When coal or the like is unloaded from the car it is usually discharged into a pit. If the discharging conveyor is at a high elevation and co the pit is substantially .empty, the coal will drop a considerable distance .and be broken thereby rendering a great deal of fine dust which is objectionable. One feature ofvthis invention resides in pivoting the discharging conveyor of 5 the unloader so that it can be adjusted to a point below, the platform 3 and to a point near the bottom of the coal pit in order that the discharged coal will not be broken up as it is discharged. V

The car unloader involving this invention consists of a receiving conveyor mounted upon a receiving boom 6 which is adapted to be inserted under the railroad car for receiving the coal discharged therefrom. This receiving conveyor has an upwardly sloping. portion '7 for elevating the coal and discharging the same into a hopper 8 which in turn discharges the coal upon a discharge conveyor on the discharge boom 9. The conveying chains and driving means therefor have not been specifically illustrated as the same are'more or less old in the art and well known. The framework of the receiving conveyor is supported upon the truck 5 for swiveling movement.

To this end there is mounted upon the truck 5 e a cylindrical member 10 having a depending cylindrical lug 11 which extends through an aper- The cylindrical support 10 is provided with suitable rollers 12 which travel upon the upper surface of the truck when the support 10 is rotated upon its pivot 11. The cylindrical support 10 carries a pair' of parallel angle bars 13 as. shown in Figure 3. These angle'bars are connected together attheir forward ends by a member 14 as shown in Figure 7. About each axlelof the truck,' there is a U-shaped support 15 upon which the member 14 is adapted to rest when the conveyor is swung over the truck. As the conveyor may be swung over either end of the truck, it is of course necessary .to provide a support 15 upon each axle of the truck. The frame of the unloader comprises a pair of. lower beams 16 whichare welded or secured to the angle members 13 so that the unloader can partake of the pivotal movement 0 of the cylindrical support 10. v

The manner of supporting the discharge boom upon the unloader frame will now be set forth. In referring to Figure 2 it will be noted that the unloader frame comprises an obliquely extending frame member 17. In referring now to Figures 5 and 6, it will be noted that a bearing block 18 is mounted upon the frame member 17 and this bearing block is provided with a right angular bearing member 19 having a concave recess at its end for receiving a bearing 20. The bearing 20 is preferably provided with a groove 21 in which the arcuate end of the bearing member 19 fits. A pair of U-shaped bolts 22 extend around the bearing member 20 and are fastened to the member 17 and the bearing block 18 by means of suitable nuts or the like. Within the bearing 20 there is journalled a drive shaft 23.

An angle member 24 is secured to the discharge boom 9. To the angle member 24 there is secured the base of a bearing member 18 having a bearing portion 19 with a concave recess in its end for receiving the aforementioned bear ing 20. This bearing portion 19 also fits in the aforementioned groove 21. A pair of U-bolts 22 also connect the bearing 20 with the base 18 and the angle member 24. It will be apparent that the pivotal connection of the discharge boom 9 with the'unloader or receiving boom allows the discharge boom to be swung downwardly below the truck as shown in Figure 1. The particular arrangement of this pivotal connection also prevents any binding upon the bearing 20 or the driving shaft 23 journaled therein. It might be 30' mentioned that the shaft 23 may constitute the tail shaft for the discharging conveyor.

The tail shaft 23 is connected by means of sprocket gearing 25 to a shaft 26. As the dis- ,charge conveyor swings upon the shaft 23 as a pivot, it will be apparent that it will not interfere with the sprocket gearing 25. The shaft 26 is driven by sprocket gearing 27 connected to the head shaft 28 of the unloading conveyor 7.

. The shaft 28 is driven by gearing 29 which in turn is geared to a motor 30 located upon the frame of the unloader. 7

When not in use the unloader is supported upon the truck as illustrated in Figure 2 in .which the unloader is shown resting upon the U-shaped support 15 upon one end of the truck 5. It may however be just as well supported upon the U-shaped member 15 upon the other end of the truck. This particular construction allows the unloader to be swung in either direction in the event that anobstruction prevents it from being swung in one direction. When in use, the receiving boom 6 is placed under a car as shown in Figure 1 and after the car has been unloaded, the unloader is swiveled upon the pivot pin 11 into alignment with the truck either in one direction or the'other. The unloader may then be moved onwardly to the next hopper of the car or to a different car when the receiving boom 6 may be swung'under the car.

The particular conveying chains have'not been illustrated nor described since the same are old and well known and constitute no part of this invention except insofar as the same may cooperate therewith.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting thepatent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a car unloader, a truck having a stationary support adjacent each end, a cylindrical member having a pivot stud projecting at right angles thereto and pivoted in the body of the truck, rollers secured upon said cylindrical memher and a support secured to said cylindrical member, a car unloader secured to said last mentioned support and a discharge boom pivotally connected to said car unloader.

2. In a car unloader, a truck having a stationary support adjacent each end, a supporting member having an intermediate stud journaled in the body of said truck and having rollers traveling upon said truck, a frame carried by said member and adapted to be swung into engagement with either of said stationary supports, a receiving conveyor carried by said frame and a discharging boom pivotally mounted upon said frame and adapted for swinging movements below said truck.

3. In a car unloader, a truck having a stationary support adjacent each end, a swivel member on said truck, a frame carried by said member and adapted to be swung into engagement with either of said supports, a receiving conveyor carried by said frame, a discharge conveyor pivoted at one end to said frame, and driving mechanism for said discharge conveyor including a driving connection extending to said pivotal point.

4. In a car unloader, the combination with a frame member, a bearing member having a base portion secured to said frame member and an arcuate portion, a cylindrical shaft bearing having an annular groove into which said arcuate bearing portion extends, a U-bolt connecting said frame member, bearing member and shaft bearing, a discharging conveyor having aframe member, a bearing attached to said last mentioned frame member and having an arcuate portion extending into the groove of said shaft bearing member, and a U-bolt connecting said shaft bearing and last mentioned frame member.

5. In a car unloader, a truck adapted for traveling movements along a row of railroad cars upon a track, said truck having a stationary support adjacent each end, a supporting member having an intermediate stud journalled in the body. of the truck and having rollers adapted for traveling upon said truck, a frame carried by said member and adapted to be swung into engagement with either of said supports, a material receiving boom rigidly attached to said frame and adapted for insertion under a car for supporting engagement with said track and a discharging boom pivotally secured upon said frame and adapted for swinging movements below said truck.

6. In acar unloader, a truck having a stationary support adjacent each end, a frame sup porting member having an intermediate stud journaled in the body of the truck and having rollers adapted for traveling upon said truck, a frame secured to said member and adapted to be swung into engagement with either of said supports, a material receiving boom rigidly secured to said frame and a material discharging boom pivotally secured to said frame, the parts being so balanced that said frame can be readily 1 5 

